Does anyone else struggle in the MRI scanner ?

[stoneple]

I have to have regular MRI's, at least once a year.

Sometimes it's a quick brain one of 15 minutes. Other times it's a longer scan. Usually it involves my head so I have to wear the cage thing over my head and headphones.

I find it really difficult. No matter how often I do it, I absolutely hate it.

Today I had a 1 and a half hour scan and really really had to control myself. It was so horrible.

I just start freaking out in there. I close my eyes of course. But yeah I just hate it.

Any suggestions for the next time ?

Get prescribed something from the GP. Just something to take the edge off.

Gish that's ages. I had to have one that would take 40 minutes as I was overweight and it needs to get through the fat ( so the operator said) I declined and have lost 4 stone hoping it will be quicker next time. I stayed in about two minutes before panicking.

I’m claustrophobic so don’t go in. When I had my head done (with cage) they put me just inside the entrance, rather than all the way in and I just kept my eyes squeezed shut.
For my back the put me in feet first so my head was almost out.
Have you asked if they can do the bits of you without going all in? It’s the panic of being stuck in there and unable to get out of the tunnel that does it.

My old neighbour use to go somewhere that you could stand up for a MRI. She said she didn't feel as claustrophobic.
I am very claustrophobic so understand how you must feel.
Good luck

They won’t any longer, if a consultant requests the MRI they bounce it back to request the hospital prescribed, because they won’t.

Yes me. I have never been able to go in. I once had one on my knee and only went in up to my chest and I was still verging on hysteria and almost hyperventilating.

had two recently and doctor prescribed 6 Diazepam. I took 2 an hour before and took another when I arrived. They gave me an eye mask to wear and I was away with the fairies. Went in head first on the second one and was fine.

If you are allowed to take the pills it really, really helps. Good luck.

Can you get your GP to prescribe valium just for the MRIs? I got it for another type of scan + traumatic treatment, with no quibbles from the GP. I've never taken valium before or since, but it helped that day.

Oh poor you I’ve had some of these on my head and yes it’s very hard going. This sounds a bit mad but the way I coped with it was imagining I was in a techno club in the nineties. I’m an old raver and the noise sounds a bit like very hardcore techno to me! Not sure I have any tips but you have my sympathy.

This. My gp gives me diazepam. I couldn’t do it otherwise.

Usually I’m ok with them but I had a brain one recently and it was really uncomfortable. I’ve had a few brain (3?), knee and spine but this was unpleasant. Not sure why but I couldn’t wait to get out!

Valium is the answer

I’ve never had one but DSIS had a few for cancer detection. They sound horrific. I think I’d struggle not to panic. DSiS plugged her earphones in to calm her down

I'm glad this wasn't just me 🤣 had my first one a couple of weeks ago, knew it'd be loud but they hadn't mentioned all the different sounds! I was mentally going through my old dance trance collection to some of the MRI beats 😊 helped with my anxiety by focussing on that, plus kept my eyes super tight closed and just imagined lots of space around me

Trouble with any medications is that they can affect blood flow/pressure, which if they're looking for abnormalities is going to be counterproductive.

Sometimes they're fine, sometimes they're just about tolerable and sometimes for me, I'm out of them like a rat out a drainpipe.

ETA: And they are never in 4/4 or 6/8, t's stupid, prog rock rhythmns and polyrhythms. If they were in regular rhythms, I'd find them easier.

I had two recently and was prescribed Diazepam (Valium). Only 6 each time but they really helped.

My GP recently prescribed 2 diazepam for me - i just showed the receptionist the appointment letter.
I wear special glasses too that have a mirror set up so you can see out of the scanner - theyre excellent!

I struggled a little with the last time I had one, because I had to wear a weighted chest plate and it bloody hurt my back. Every second felt like a minute and it was awful.

Normally it doesn’t bother me because I have to take my hearing aid out so I just lay there and feel the thumps

I'm very claustrophobic and absolutely dreadful them. I can just about manage in the larger s anger for normal scan. However I've got to have a shoulder scan and they say I'll have to wear a helmet over my head/face with shoulder scan bits on them go into scanner head first. I've asked my GP for sedation. I don't think I could do it without.

My husband has one every 6 month, sames as you with the cage and hates it.
However he has found a way. He tells radiographer it then lays on bed, closes his eyes, has cage and earphones fitted. He doesn't speak jusr lays with eyes closed. He feel himself being taken into scanner.

When in there he jusr keeps his eyes shut, often planning stuff in hid head like a night out, holiday etc.

Even when out he doesn't open his eyes til radiographer tops him when cage off.

Works a treat he says.

This is me. Had a pelvic scan a few months ago. They put me in feet first and my head was almost out but I hated every second. Kept forgetting how to breathe.

Then I needed a brain scan. GP gave me six diazepam and I took one on the morning of the scan. I felt like it had no effect but it was odd because I felt absolutely fine for the whole scan.

Also the cage thing around the head had a mirror so I could see my feet, and the edge of the scanner, and the radiologists in their little booth. All that helped a lot.

BTW there were signs up at the hospital saying they absolutely could not provide medication if you were nervous.

TL:DR - get diazepam from your GP.

DD has had a couple of MRIs and she was referred to a private scanner which was open at the side. We had it on NHS as she would have had to be sedated for a normal one (as young and a long scan time). If you can't get an NHS referral, you can pay direct if you have the funds. I was curious about the price and I seem to remember it being about £500 10 years ago.

I have brain MRIs every 2 months and am in year 3 of this. At the beginning I panicked something horrible, then I was prescribed a light sedative which sort of helped. But the game changer for me was following some really basic meditation breathing techniques and/or keeping my brain busy with something very random like designing my ideal home if I won the lottery. I’m now at the point where there have been scans when I have drifted off and when they slide me out to administer the contrast dye it has given me quite a start. I also find it helpful to banish all thoughts of why you’re in the damn thing in the first place… looking back that really didn’t help me at the beginning.

I hope things go well for you and your experience improves.

I’ve had 4. I was scared during the first one as I was worried I’d get wedged in the “tunnel” (I’m not the slimmest). afterwards I saw that the table I was on could be lowered, so knew that I couldn’t have stuck in there. That made the 2nd and subsequent times easier.

i find the hardest bit is staying still. I was told to stay still and the more I concentrated on staying still, the more I moved. I found that doing my times tables in my head gave me something to focus on, and took so much concentration that I kept still.

I did have some diazepam a few times prescribed by the GP, but it really didn't make much difference at all. So I stopped requesting it now.

Deleted as I misread original post!